The present invention relates to an airbag apparatus for protecting passengers in the high-speed movable body such as automotive vehicles in case of collision, and more specifically, an air bag apparatus in which the connecting portion between the airbag and the gas generator is improved. Especially, the present live invention relates to an airbag apparatus suitable for applying to the airbag that deploys like a curtain along the side surface of the cabin of the automotive vehicle.
This type of protection bag for the head of the passenger in the automotive vehicle is disclosed in WO96/26087, and specifically shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 9 therein. In this known bag, the air chamber comprises a duct portion extending along the upper edge of the bag from the end of the bag facing toward the front of the vehicle (front end) to the end facing toward the back of the vehicle (rear end), and a number of cells extending continuously downward from the duct portion. The gas generator is connected to the duct portion on the side facing toward the rear of the vehicle. The gas generator generates gas upon collision of the vehicle, and gas flows into the duct portion from the side facing toward the rear of the vehicle and deploys the cells from the cell at the rear end in a sequential order. Therefore, the cell on the front end is deployed significantly behind the cell on the rear side.
As a protection bag for the head of the passenger of the automotive vehicle in which the time difference of the deployment between the respective portions of the bag is small and is rapidly deployed as a whole, the one which is provided with a gas inlet port at the center of the bag when viewed in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle is proposed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No.10-291457
FIGS. 5(a)-5(c) are a bag shown in the same publication, in which FIG. 5(a) is a perspective view showing a state in which gas in introduced in the bag and deployed, and FIG. 5(b) and FIG. 5(c) are cross sectional views taken along the lines 5(b)-5(b) and 5(c)-5(c) FIG.5(a) respectively.
The bag 10 is provided with a plurality of longitudinal air chambers 12 formed by overlapping two almost fan-shaped sheets and joining the entire peripheral margin and prescribed positions in the vertical direction. The upper portions of the air chambers 12 are in communication with the upper air chamber 14. An opening 16 for supplying gas into the upper air chamber 14 is provided at the longitudinal center thereof.
In the bag 10 constructed in a manner described above, gas is supplied into the upper air chamber 14 from the opening 16 when the automotive vehicle crashes or rolls over. The supplied gas deploys the upper air chamber 14 and the longitudinal air chambers 12, and thus the bag 10 is deployed along the door window or the like.
In the Japanese Patent Application Publication No.10-291457, how the gas generator is connected to the gas inlet port 16 is not disclosed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an airbag apparatus in which the gas generator is mounted to the gas inlet port easily and without causing gas leakage at all, and in which the airbag can be deployed smoothly as a whole.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
The airbag apparatus of the present invention comprises an airbag having a gas inlet port, and a gas generator for generating gas for deploying the airbag. The gas generator has a long cylindrical shape with a gas exhaust port on its side peripheral surface. The airbag has a gas generator mounting portion continuing to the gas inlet port and the gas generator mounting portion is provided with a pair of gas generator insertion ports at a prescribed distance. The gas exhaust port of the gas generator is arranged in the gas generator mounting portion in such a manner that both ends are inserted into the respective gas generator inserting ports, and the gas generator insertion port is fastened tightly from the outside by an annular fastener.
In such an airbag apparatus, the gas generator can easily be mounted by inserting the same into the gas generator insertion port and fastening tightly by an annular fastener, and no gas leakage happens at all.
Gas generated from the gas generator is supplied from the gas inlet port into the entire portion of the interior of the airbag smoothly, and thus the airbag is deployed quickly as a whole.
The pair of gas generator insertion ports are preferably formed into a cylindrical shape. The fastener is preferably formed of metal, and constructed to fasten tightly by caulking.